Grain-dampener



(No Model.)

W. H. HILL.

, GRAIN DAMPENER. No. 539,812.

Patented May 28, 1895.

attozwu TAT S .IVILLIAM H. HILL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, AS SIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO E. FRANK WALLACE, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAlN-DAMPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,812, dated May 28,1895. Application filed September 6, 1894. Serial 110.52%281. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HILL, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Cleveland, Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Dampeners, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This improvement is designed mainly to provide grain dampeners with afeeding device that will be regular and positive in its action and notlikely to get out of order.

To these ends the invention consists in the peculiar construction,arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularlydescribed and then definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a dampenerconstructed according to my improvement, with one side of the caseremoved. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on a larger scale, takendiagonally to the view shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the details of the drawings by figures, 1 represents thecasing, which may be either square or round, in horizontal section,terminating at the bottom in a short inclined flange 2, at the lower endof which is a short tube or ring 3, which partly incloses a cone-i,screwed onto'a spindle or rod 5, which passes through a guide 6 in thecase, and carries near its upper end another cone 7. Its extreme upperend passes through a guide or spider 8, set in the tube 9, which isconnected to a cap 10, having a flange 11, fittingtightly inside thecasing 1.

Securely fastened to the under side of the cone 7 is a bar 12, whichextends across to and receives a rod 13, working through a guide 15attached to the tube 9, and a nut 16 secured to the cap 10, said rodbeing threaded at 17 to fit the thread of said nut. A knob 18 isprovided at its top to enable it to be readily turned, and. a spiralspring 25 is set between said knob and the cap to prevent the rodturning too easily and so accidentally changing the position of thecones 4 and 7. The lower end of the rod 13 is grooved at 19, and thusforms a support for the bar 12 and the parts immediately connectedtherewith.

On the inside of the casingl, about the center of its length, is secureda deflecting flange 20, beneath which is set a ring of perforated pipe21, provided with an inlet valve 22, through which the steam isadmitted, and a second valve 23, through which the condensed Watermay bedischarged-the perforated pipe being set slightly inclined, so that thecondensed water Will' readily run out through said valve 23.

At the under side of the cone 4isa locking nut 24, by which said conewill be retained in the desired position when once set.

The operation of dampening grain is so well understood that descriptionthereof is hardly necessary, and it is sufficient to say that the grainenters at the top, and falling on cone 7 is spread thereby, passingthrough the circular passage formed between the tube 9 and said cone.7,and as it descends it is dampened by the steam issuing from theperforated pipe 2lthe deflecting flange 2O compelling it to pass insideof the ring of perforated pipe. The grain passes out at; the bottombetween the ring 3 and cone 4. By the peculiar arrangement of the twocones supported by the same rod they both move simultaneously, and sowhen it is required to increase or diminish the feed by moving the topcone, the lower one is moved simultaneously, so that the inlet andoutlet of the grain are always adjusted in a corresponding degree bysimply turning the rod 13.

I deem it important that the inlet and outlet be of substantially thesamesize, or (what is essentially the same thing) that the valvegoverning the inlet and outlet shall be so arranged as to allowsubstantially the same amount of grain to pass out as passes in, so thatalthough the grain passes freely through the casing, the inlet andoutlet are almost entirely closed by the grain passing through, and thusthere is but little escape of steam through said inlet and outlet, "andconsequently the space within the casing is kept thoroughly permeatedwith it, with but little loss thereof.

As it is necessary that the lower opening should be varied to someextent according to the nature of the grain, as some kinds of grain willswell more than others, the lower cone can be adjusted separately byturning it on the rod 5, and fixing it in the desired po-.

sition by turning the nut 2 L.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction here shown, as it isevident that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

What I claim as new is' 1. The combination of a casing, having an inletfor the grain, and a valve governing the inflow of said grain, of anoutlet for the grain of substantially the same size as the inlet, and asecond valve governing the size of the passage for the egress thereof,said valves being connected together to move simultaneously,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a casing, having an inlet for the grain,and avalve governing the inflow of said grain, of an outlet for said grain ofsubstantially the same size as the inlet, and a second valve governingthe size of the passage for the egress thereof, said valves beingconnected to move simultaneously, and one being adjustable independentlyof the other, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a casing having an inlet and outlet for thegrain, both of substantially the same capacity, of inlet and outletcomes 7 and 4, connected together by the spindle 5 and governing theingress and egress of the grain, a bar 12 connected With one of saidcones, and a threaded rod 13 engaging with said bar 12, for positivelyadjusting both cones simultaneously and equally, substantiallyasdescribed.

4. The combination with a casing 1, having a contracted outlet 3, of acone 4t Working therein, a cap 10 fitting the top of the casing, a tube9 of the same capacity as the outlet depending from the cap, a cone 7set in the bottom of the tube, and connected to cone 4, a threadedrod'13, and a bar 12 connected to said rod and with the cones at, 7, forsimultaneously adjusting both of said cones and positively holding themin any fixed or desired position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I-affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 3d day of September, 1894.

\VILLIAM 11. HI LL.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL D. DODGE, JOSEPH S. BERNHARD.

